


A dagger in hand is worth two at Gwen’s dad’s shop

by YellowAndVeritablyBonaFide



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Hurt Merlin, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Protective Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), arthur to the rescue, graphic depictions of rape, trigger warning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:13:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26603518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YellowAndVeritablyBonaFide/pseuds/YellowAndVeritablyBonaFide
Summary: *contains graphic depictions of rape*(Like /really/ graphic)Merlin gets trapped in an alley in the dark by a group of nasty knights. Will his knight in shining armour be in time to save the day?
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 304





	A dagger in hand is worth two at Gwen’s dad’s shop

**Author's Note:**

> I’m serious. Graphic depictions of rape. Read at your own risk.
> 
> Hi!! It turns out I haven’t written in ages? Wild.
> 
> This has been in my notes for ages and I was going to extend it but you guys deserve some new Merthur material from me :)
> 
> I should be posting more but for now most of my writing energy is going into continuing Dolus (check it out on my page) so just know: I’m trying my best!

“Arthur!” Merlin yells at the top of his lungs.

Through his panic and struggle and desperation, there is only one name on his lips. The one man who has saved him from everything. The one man who can save him now.

They jumped him in the early hours as he was sneaking down an alleyway, the sun only a few hours away from waking everyone else up. Merlin just had the misfortune of meeting some people who he really wish he hadn’t. It’s the new knights - the ones from a nearby kingdom. They’ve been around for about a month but only started training a week ago. Unfortunately, they seem to be under the impression that Merlin is only at the training field to watch them. They’re flattering themselves, really, Merlin likens them all to rotting ham. Their skin is pink and dull - the skin of ill drunkards who only go outside to get burned by the sun.

There’s three of them; Merlin has always been unlucky. He knows their intentions - he can see it in their eyes. Their breath reeks of alcohol. They’ve obviously been getting smashed as there is no training on Sunday’s. 

This is why Merlin thought he might be able to take a nap in the day after picking up Arthur’s present from Gwen. He had to sneak out of the castle a few minutes ago with the help from a few guards. He’s been planning this for weeks for Arthur’s birthday. It’s this week and he was planning on getting him a specially made dagger (thanks to Gwen and her father) with the pendragon symbol embellished on it. He hasn’t even had the chance to get to it yet.

“Fag!” One cries - Eldrick. He’s a very heavy set guy with all the loathsomeness of the Hunchback of Notre Dame. The only reason Arthur accepted to train him and his men is that Uther has an alliance resting on it. 

In the privacy of Arthur’s chambers, the prince confessed that they fought with the skill and elegance of wild boars. At least Merlin had that to cling onto as he wills the men to leave him alone.

Merlin kicks out, struggling against these men as they try and pin him down to the floor of the alley. His magic is sparking at the tips of his fingers and Merlin sorely wishes that he could use it; it’s just too dangerous. It’s three knights against a servant. Of course, Arthur would be on his side but Uther wouldn’t hesitate to burn him in favour of keeping an alliance. He wouldn’t want to cause strain in Arthur’s relationship with his father (it’s strenuous enough as it is).

Merlin imagines what it would be like to burn on the pyre too often. Sometimes he lays in bed and scares himself out of sleeping just in case Uther busts into his room to demand his death. Sometimes, in the light of day, he completes his chores in silence and ponders what it would be like to have fire tickle his feet before consuming him whole. Would Arthur watch? Would he try and stop it? Would he care at all or just hire George to replace him? Everyone tells him that he’s invaluable to Arthur, that the Prince couldn’t cope without him–and yes, he makes jokes about it–but he never really means it. He coped before, why wouldn’t he again?

It’s within a short time that the three men have him subdued on the floor. His breathing is too harsh and shallow and he’s on the verge of passing out from pure panic. It’s happened before when he was cornered by a rotund butcher who claimed to have seen him stealing. Of course, he didn’t but he got pushed against a wall and that’s all he can remember until he was woken up by a concerned looking guard. He said that everything was sorted out and that he suggested going to Gaius for a check-up. Since then that guard, Cadby, had always made sure that Merlin was well and safe. Merlin wishes for him to be here but there is only one person who can make Merlin feel wholly safe.

“Arthur!” Merlin screams again, fighting to keep his mouth uncovered - biting and screaming.

Somewhere outside of the haze of his panic, he recognises one of the men speaking to someone who is standing just outside of the alley. He turns his head and notices a blur that’s blocking one exit. But they must be wearing a dress or some kind of skirt.

Merlin knows that the figure in question is not Arthur but he can’t think of another word to shout. “Arthur!” He screams again, the force of it scratching up his throat and he’s not sure he’ll ever be able to speak again. The figure runs away. Well, isn’t that just great? 

Another one of the men sits on his legs while the other two pin down his arms. He barely has the energy to fight anymore. But he tries, hope against hope, that maybe if he can only dislodge one of them, the others will give up. He kicks and punches and shouts. Somewhere in his mind, he acknowledges the tears falling from his eyes in streams. Another part of him acknowledges that the men are working on his breeches - trying to tug the strings apart. But then he’s distracted when one who’s pinning his arm down starts muttering in his ear.

“Come on, babe, you love this. I bet you have filthy gay dreams about being ganged up on like this - about us, in fact,” He sneers. “I bet you get hard thinking about me doing this to you. You won’t be walking for weeks after we’re through with you.”

The man then licks and bites at his ear and he’s never felt so disgusted in his life. He shivers and stretches his head away. It’s then that he feels the cool air on his lower half and the fight in him returns. He twists and shoves and bites but it doesn’t deter them. It only serves to make them smile and jeer at him.

His face is hot and there are hands on him. Hands that feel him where he should only be felt by lovers. These men are not lovers. He tries to scream as one of them puts a finger up his ass but then the one who was talking to him is kissing him. His mouth tastes acrid and there are too many teeth and everything is predatorial. 

There are more hands on his dick now, a hand massaging his taint, a hand stroking his inner thighs so that his back arches. Too many hands. The more he cries, the more they laugh. He seems so far away from his body; he refuses to look, to listen, to taste. 

He yelps again when the finger in his ass starts moving.

“Oh, you like that, sweetie, don’t you?” Merlin struggles and gasps and shakes his head. He squirms and tries to lash out. “So nice and tight for me, eh?”

“Oil!” Merlin cries when the finger goes in further, it feels like his insides are being ripped apart. “Spit! Anything, please!”

If they’re going to do it, Merlin just wants it to hurt a little less. Maybe it’ll give him more time.

“Did you hear that boys?” Eldrick asks. “He’s begging for it. What was it? Spit?”

Then he spits in Merlin’s face. Most of it lands on Merlin’s cheek but it sprays his entire face. He sobs. The other men seem to like the reaction as they start spitting all over him. Merlin scrunches his eyes closed so he doesn’t see the fingers before they’re shoved in his mouth. He bites down roughly. They pull his teeth as they pull away. His head bangs on the ground and Merlin feels a sudden warmth where the cold ground behind his head is.

“You little bitch!” The fingers move deeper and faster and the small amount of spit does nothing to help the pain. 

Then there is another finger being inserted into him, stretching him. The other men are now using one arm each to pin his arms down so they can use their filthy hands to touch him all over. One goes for his dick and begins jerking him off. It’s half hard in his hand and Merlin couldn’t feel more ashamed. He’s never felt like more of a disappointment in his life.

Merlin whines and wriggles and put in the right context it could look like he’s enjoying himself. Well, that’s what Eldrick likes to believe. “Listen to those sounds, gorgeous, you’re loving this. You’re such a filthy slut.”

Merlin refuses to make a sound but that doesn’t sit right with Eldrick. He shoves a third finger into Merlin so that he cries out into the cold air.

“Fuck, you’re gonna feel so good around my dick.” 

The one attending to Merlin’s dick starts using his mouth. The heat engulfs him and he yells out curses. Tears soak his face as he tries to struggle again, kicking out and managing to knee one of them in his face. He gets an arm free and rakes his nails down someone’s arm. He spits and yells and punches until he’s once again restrained. One of them backhands his cheek with enough force to snap his head the other way. He gasps and his cheek stings with the promise of a bruise. 

“You really are a playful little bitch, ” One of them grunts. 

  
“Arthur!” Merlin screams as a last gasp. He tastes the blood in his mouth rather than the acidity of someone else’s for a moment.

And then it stops. He wonders briefly if he’s passed out - what a blessing that would be. But his consciousness catches upon him as he hears yelling then no more hands. He feels free - he staggers upwards to stand so he can escape. He collapses straight away.

There’s more yelling and the men are being hauled away by people wearing noisy boots–guards. Merlin tries to get a grasp of himself and pull himself back to reality. His hands fumble for his clothes, trying to cover up again. No amount of baths will clean him. That thought makes his tears return tenfold and he can’t breathe. He slumps against one wall of the alley and wonders why God intends to punish him like this.

He barely notices that someone is left in the alley, frozen in horror and disbelief. He doesn’t notice that they are the one person he wants most in the world. Within the next second, a bright ray of sunlight is in his line of view looking concerned.

“Arthur?” Merlin whispers, his throat now a complete wreck.

Merlin blinks slowly and nuzzles into the soft hand that’s placed gently on his cheek. He seeks comfort and he’ll take anything.

Arthur is quite often left speechless by Merlin, whether it’s from an insult or a display of idiocy, but this is a whole new level. 

“Merlin, love?” Arthur asks. His entire world is on the floor of an alley after just being assaulted. His heart shatters. “Merlin, I need you to focus on me.”

Merlin tries to train his eyes on the ones in front of him but he struggles. The bleariness doesn’t fade so he wipes at his eyes with his sleeves before looking back up. 

It’s weird looking at Arthur like this. He’s so obviously worried. All of his emotions are on his face - easy to read, plain as day. Yet, Merlin can’t quite figure out what he’s thinking. There is worry and anger but the overriding emotion is guilt. He looks so conflicted but Merlin can’t think of a single reason why.

“Arthur?” Merlin whispers. “Are you okay?”

It breaks Arthur. Of all the people in Camelot, it had to be Merlin - poor, unlucky Merlin. He always has these kinds of things happening to him, it’s always him who gets poisoned or arrested or abused. Why did they have to add rape to the list? Poor, innocent Merlin ravaged by men and now he’s asking if Arthur’s okay. It’s wrong. Arthur collects him into his arms and cradles him possessively.

He’s lucky that Gwen stumbled upon what was happening after hearing someone shout for him. No one shouts Arthur’s name so she knew who it was. Apparently, they told her that they were just taking advantage of the resources that they didn’t have in their own kingdom. He shivers with disgust.

When he was running to get here, he heard how his name was being shouted. The desperation and hopelessness that accented the scream is something that he hopes he never ever hears again.

He bites his lip, looking at the boy who seems to be dozing off in his arms. He can’t help but place a gentle kiss on his forehead, God forbid anyone does this again.

“Let’s go, Merls,” Arthur whispers, cradling the boy and standing up with Merlin in his arms.

Merlin, quite dazed but still awake, wraps his arms around Arthur’s neck and lets himself be carried. He buries his face into Arthur’s neck to hide; a mixture of embarrassment and an attempt at seeking comfort. Either way, Arthur lets him and walks as gently as possible to his chambers.

Inside, he passes a few guards who frown upon seeing Merlin in such a weak state. Merlin gets around in the castle and seems to know everyone. Unbeknownst to him, everyone is absolutely besotted with him. Often guards offer to help carry things or open doors for him or compliment him until he blushes. The kitchen staff always slip him food whenever they see him and make everything he requests. There isn’t a single stablehand who could say they hadn’t tried to flirt with him or make jokes. Arthur could only put up with so much of this and banned any of them from making a move on the boy unless Merlin started courting them. They all knew something, however, that he didn’t. They knew that Merlin was soul-deep in love with their Prince.

Arthur asks one of the knights to notify Gaius that Merlin needs tending to in his chambers. He frowns, deciding that it came out wrong, and has to correct himself to make sure Gaius wouldn’t assume that they’d been having sex like rabbits and Merlin got hurt.

He continues his ascent to his room, stopping every so often to adjust Merlin. Merlin has always been skinny but now Arthur can understand just how malnourished he is. He keeps dozing off in his arms until Arthur jostles him by accident or there’s a noise. Arthur wonders briefly if he always sleeps so fitfully and promises Merlin in silence that he won’t let anything harm him ever again. 

Sharing concerned glances, the guards at Arthur’s door open and close it behind the pair. Arthur lays Merlin down on the bed and settles him. He takes his boots off before manoeuvring his jacket down his arms. He tucks him under the covers to keep him warm.

“What were you doing out there, Merls?” Arthur murmurs as he neatens Merlin’s fringe, tucking his overgrown hair behind his ears to show them off as they are one of Arthur’s favourite things about him.

Arthur sits next to him on the bed and just about settles himself before there is a knock on the door and Gaius rushes in. The poor man looks wide awake in his sleeping garments. The man was just woken like Arthur, himself, was only a few moments ago.

Gwen had rushed into his chambers, shouting about how Merlin was being attacked in a back alley. He blinked, startled for a second, before springing into action. He grabbed his sword and shoes then rushed after Gwen; completely ignoring how he must look with bed head and wearing nothing but pyjamas. He’s never seen her look so panicked and angry–it scared him. He pulled some guards with him as well so they could assist with detaining the assaulters. 

“What’s happened, Sire?” Gaius says. It’s clear that he wants to yell but is holding himself back.

“I believe he—“ Arthur chokes, not fully registering it until now. “He was sexually assaulted by the new knights.”

Gaius goes pale. He looks sick to his stomach and Arthur is sure that he’s wearing the same expression. Gaius rushes to the bedside and looks over Merlin.

“Was he conscious when you found him?” Gaius asks.

It’s only then that Arthur sees Merlin has fallen asleep completely. 

He nods. “He... he asked if I was okay.” He knows he’s about to cry but tries to keep it in. “He looked me in the eyes and asked if I was okay, Gaius.” Arthur closes his eyes and lets the tears fall down his face. “How could this happen to him? Why him? Why is it always Merlin?” Arthur sniffs and scrubs at his eyes. “What... what was he even doing out at this time?”

Gaius continuous his check over and stays quiet. Gaius doesn’t tend to lie, it’s more of withholding the truth so his conscience remains intact. 

“Gaius.” Arthur prompts the physician to answer him, knowing just how stubborn the old man can be.

“He was getting something from Gwen, Sire.” Gaius supplies, answer as straightforward as always.

Arthur hardens his gaze, tears no longer falling, but Gaius is decidedly undeterred. “What from Gwen?”

Gaius sighs. “He was getting your birthday present. From Gwen. It seems he never got there or he’s have something to defend himself with.” The bitterness in his words bites at Arthur.

“My present?” Arthur swallows thickly. “He was out, getting my present.” Saying the words pain him.

“Yes. He’s been saving up for it for a while now and he’d just had Gwen make it but to keep it a secret he was going to pick it up under the cover of darkness.” Gaius busies himself with checking Merlin’s body so he can avoid Arthur’s eyes.

Arthur squeezes his eyes closed and takes one of Merlin’s hands in his. He’s a lot of things, is Merlin, clumsy and cheeky and cute. But above all, he’s thoughtful, loyal, kind. To think that he just strolled into his life and inserted himself into his routine and not left. He’s seen Arthur’s darkest hours but his opinion has never changed. He’s dependable and good to the bone. Arthur is completely in love with him.

Gaius makes a pained sound when he feels under Merlin’s head. Arthur watches Gaius retract his hand. There’s blood on it. The sight makes him feel ill and his heart lurches in his chest. Merlin whimpers in his sleep and Arthur shushes him, calming him down by stroking the pad of his thumb across his cheekbone.

The boy has been hit all over his body; the red marks on him tell the story. They will be bruises soon enough. He'd been strangled and his face... he must’ve been backhanded by someone wearing a ring.

Gaius sighs, “I suppose we should get him back to his chambers.”

“No!” Arthur cries. His desperation is clear on his face and he’s covered Merlin’s body with his own, ready to attack anyone who tries to take the boy away from him. He realises how ridiculous he is being so he tries to backtrack. “He... he shouldn’t be moved too much. He needs sleep and my bed is much more comfortable.”

Gaius gives him an amused look. “As long as you’re sure, Sire.” He pauses to smile and mutters under his breath, “No one’s going to take him away from you, are they?”

He packs his stuff up, chuckling to himself. Arthur flushes as he watches Gaius leave. The door shuts and the bang rouses Merlin from his sleep just as Arthur is moving out of his space.

Merlin grasps Arthur’s wrist and begs with wide eyes, “Please stay.”

Who could say no to that? Arthur toes his boots off and gets under the covers with Merlin. The boy presses against him so he wraps his arms tightly around him. To comfort him, Arthur assures himself. 

“Are you... okay?” Arthur whispers, knowing full well how stupid that question is. Of course he’s not okay.

Merlin smiles at that, though. “I am now. Thank you for saving me.”

“You’ve saved my life quite a few times, now, it’s about time I balanced it out a bit.” Arthur admits with a smile. 

Their heads share a pillow, they’re breathing in the same air. At any other time, Arthur would have either pushed Merlin away or pulled him in. For now, he’s fine just as they are.

Merlin lifts a hand to Arthur’s face with caution. “Have you been crying?”

Arthur smiles and leans into the touch. “Just a bit, ” he admits. “It’s always you, isn’t it? You’re always in trouble.”

Merlin smiles at him but winces as it bothers his cut. Arthur puts his hand on Merlin’s cheek just under the cut and asks something he really wishes he doesn’t have to. 

“Did they spit on you?”

Merlin blushes, looking away. He pulls away from Arthur and puts space between them. The amount of time they spend with space in between them has always been too much. But now he knows what closeness feels like he never wants to lose it.

“Yeah, “ Merlin whispers.

Pique rises in Arthur and he has half a mind to demand that the guards send orders for the knights to be beaten half to death. Spitting. So animalistic, are these men even human?

Merlin swallows the bile rising in his throat. He refuses to tell Arthur how the spitting had come about. Refuses to tell him that he had basically asked for it.

“We should probably get some sleep, “ Arthur murmurs, pulling Merlin closer so they’re pressed chest to chest.

“You want me to sleep here?” Merlin asks, genuine confusion flashing across his face.

“I need you to sleep here.”

Merlin smiles as they settle together; Arthur on his back with Merlin laid half across him with his face against his neck. They wrap their arms around each other until their limbs are indistinguishable but comfortable.

“No one will ever lay their hands on you again,” Arthur promises. “Not on my watch.


End file.
